Plans to install crash barriers on either side of the Millers Run Covered Bridge

Plans to install crash barriers on either side of the Millers Run Covered Bridge advanced last week when town officials solved a key design problem: How to plant a steel post in a narrow area next to a retaining wall. Engineers last week determined that, while the originally planned concrete footings were too large, slimmer “screw piles” could do the job. Screw pilings are compact, can be installed with less disruption, and can be positioned surgically in narrow areas. While there is still no timeline for the crash barrier installation, the two-year-old project appears to have finally gained traction. The Miller’s Run Covered Bridge has been struck repeatedly over the years, including at least four times in 2023. Bridge collisions are so common that the Select Board in 2021 approved plans to build overhead clearance barriers. The barriers would prevent tall vehicles exceeding the 11-foot-9 height limit from striking and damaging the bridge. Repairs typically cost $1,100 per incident. However, construction of the barriers had been postponed indefinitely due to spiraling cost estimates. If built, the barriers would continue town efforts to protect the Miller’s Run Covered Bridge, also known as the Bradley Covered Bridge, which dates back to 1878.